First BOOK OF LIFE Trailer Looks Mexican, Sounds American

The first trailer for The Book of Life, produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, looks like a fireworks truck crashed into a paint factory and exploded. And I mean that in a good way.

That impression is confirmed by the first official images released for the film, via USA Today, which you can view in the gallery below. In the trailer, the screen is filled with colorful, eye-popping Mexican art, while all the characters sound American. It's a marketing approach that may pay off for 20th Century Fox, and I'm hoping that's all it is -- a marketing approach to appeal to the widest demographic possible, at least in the U.S.

Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana are billed as the leads, though the story actually revolves around Manolo, voiced by Diego Luna. According to the official synopsis:

The Book of Life is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

The voice cast includes Danny Trejo, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ana de la Reguera, Eugenio Derbez, Hector Elizondo, Cheech Marin, and Gabriel Iglesias, so I'm hoping that the final product will celebrate Mexican culture. The film opens in the U.S. on October 17.